Spring and summer. My favorite two seasons. I love the many different greens of all the trees and grass, and the many different colors of flowers, whether they are growing wild along a path in the woods, or laid out in a perfect pattern in a garden.
It is also a time for all of the fresh fruits and vegetables to come rolling in to the Farmer’s Market. I can hardly wait. Visiting a Farmer’s Market and seeing and smelling all of the fresh, colorful fruits and veggies makes me want to grab a little of everything and take it home to start cooking and canning. Boy, I am so glad that is just a passing fancy! So far, I am still able to see the work involved in all of that!
One vegetable that I love to munch on the most in the spring is fresh Asparagus. I know that you can pretty much buy fresh asparagus year round, but getting it in the spring gives it a special “yum” factor! OK, so it tastes the same and it is all in my head.
My favorite way to fix it is roasted. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grab a few young, tender stalks of asparagus, then rinse and drain them. Sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, and some sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Get a brown paper bag and lay it out on a cookie sheet. Place the asparagus inside. Quarter a lemon and place half of it in the bag on top of the asparagus. Fold bag closed. Bake about eight to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and open slowly to release steam. Eat up! Oh, and the aroma of it cooking is almost unbearable!
Another one of my favorite spring/summer dishes is chicken and vegetables baked in foil. I love to make this dish and stick it on the grill. However, if it is raining, oven baking is the next best way. I have the recipe above for you. It is quick, and it is easy clean up after. It is a perfect dinner that kids love!
If you are caught in the rain and you have a perfect cut of salmon you wanted to smoke, there is a way to get the smoky flavor in the oven or on the stovetop. The only thing is be prepared to have your house smell like smoke for a few days.
Purchase a small bag of grilling wood chips. Soak them in water for about two hours to keep them from burning. Place about two cups of wood chips in the bottom of a deep baking pan fitted with a rack. Place a disposable aluminum broiler pan over the chips. These pans are available at most supermarkets. Place baking pan on top of stove and turn on medium heat.
As you see smoke start to wisp up, adjust the heat so as not to start a fire. Place cooking rack over the foil. Place salmon with dry rub on rack, skin side down and cover tightly with foil. Cook until salmon is done, about 10-15 minutes. Once it is cooked, the skin should come right off. Once the skin is removed, lightly scrape along the surface, removing the bloodline (the whitish looking layer).
Salmon Rub
Make a dry rub with salt, coriander, fennel and cumin seeds, bay leaves (crushed), chilies, and paprika, and generously rub onto salmon filet. Let sit for five minutes, then rub a bit on the skin side. You will remove the skin later, so it need not be as intense.
Little Chicken Dinners In Foil
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed
1 pkg. frozen peas, thawed
4 med. carrots, cut into 1-inch rounds
4 med. potatoes, pared
8 chicken drum sticks or 4 thighs
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed ream of mushroom soup
1 envelope onion soup mix
salt and pepper to taste
Tear off four pieces heavy-duty aluminum foil, each about 18 x 15 inches. Place one carrot that has been cut into rounds, one potato cut into quarters, and two drum sticks (or one thigh) on center of each piece.
Stir together mushroom soup and onion soup mix; spoon soup mixture over drum sticks and top with peas. Salt and pepper to taste. Wrap securely in foil; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 450 degree oven until tender, about 40-50 minutes, or place on grill over hot coals. Cover and bake 30-45 minutes. Serve hot. Be careful when opening foil as steam has built up during cooking.